Croatia: best for late summer sun

That might be it for their World Cup hopes but Croatia is still the European hotspot. Now’s the time to go

What's not to like about Croatia? It has perfectly preserved medieval towns, pristine national parks and postcard-pretty islands within an easy ferry-ride's reach.

As it's outside the eurozone, prices tend to be cheaper than mainland Europe, and there are plenty of inexpensive flights available.

So you'd think that the place would be swarming with British holiday­makers, wouldn't you? Certainly, our European counterparts have cottoned on - there's been an influx of summer visitors from Germany, Slovenia and Italy in the past few years.

And while there has been more interest from the UK - not least because of a couple of boutique music festivals that have sprung up there - Croatia and its islands are still way behind the usual Med suspects in terms of popularity.

Which is a good thing. Because right now is the best time to go - in September and October, the European holiday- makers are long gone, and the